Regional spokesman Colonel Dickson Hermoso said the offensive against fighters of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) group in the strife-torn southern island of Mindanao had resulted in the deaths of 52 rebels, including the children, and one soldier.
‘They are employing child soldiers with guns and camouflage uniforms. When we encounter them, we cannot discriminate if they are children or not,’ he said.
The military offensive came after the main Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), successfully concluded peace talks with government negotiators last week aimed at ending a decades-long insurgency that has killed tens of thousands.
The BIFF is a small group of militants opposed to the peace effort with the MILF, which has carried out many deadly attacks in recent years in a bid to derail the peace process.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has vowed to crush militants opposed to an imminent peace deal, saying the the army operations were meant to ‘seriously degrade their abilities to again act as spoilers’.
‘They are employing child soldiers with guns and camouflage uniforms. When we encounter them, we cannot discriminate if they are children or not,’ he said.
The military offensive came after the main Muslim rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), successfully concluded peace talks with government negotiators last week aimed at ending a decades-long insurgency that has killed tens of thousands.
The BIFF is a small group of militants opposed to the peace effort with the MILF, which has carried out many deadly attacks in recent years in a bid to derail the peace process.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has vowed to crush militants opposed to an imminent peace deal, saying the the army operations were meant to ‘seriously degrade their abilities to again act as spoilers’.